March 28, 2024 7:51 AM
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Hobbs and GOP leaders trade notes on budget battle – The Center Square

Republican lawmakers contacted Gov. Katie Hobbs on Tuesday to open up talks about a budget that could reach a bipartisan consensus.

Hobbs vetoed a “skinny” budget on Feb. 16, as it did not receive Democratic support. The budget was similar to the one signed by former Gov. Doug Ducey last year, and it garnered bipartisan backing at the time.

“In our first and only meeting to discuss the budget, your office stated it was unwilling to receive feedback or take questions. Obviously, we need some level of agreement to pass a budget. We believe we can achieve most of our priorities and include yours that are reasonable,” House Speaker Ben Toma and Senate President Warren Petersen said in a letter to Hobbs. “For example, we have several members who support additional funding for School Facilities building renewal, the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD), and transportation projects.”

That being said, we are open to meeting to discuss how a budget process may move forward,” they continued.

The governor said at a news conference Tuesday that she was the one who originally reached out to Republican leaders.

“So I take their letter as a response to us reaching out and I’m encouraged that we can move forward on a process of negotiating a budget that we can all agree on,” Hobbs said.

Her proposed version of the budget included cutting funding for the Empowerment Scholarship Account program – which is universal school choice – cuts to the Border Strike Force and increasing funding toward affordable housing programs.

Despite the upcoming meeting, Hobbs received criticism after meeting with the left-wing group Living United for Change in Arizona on Feb. 22 to discuss their “People’s First Budget.” The organization supports universal paid family and medical leave, as well as affordable housing and childcare, according to its website.

“Gotta admit, I never thought I’d see the day where any Arizona Governor, [Republican] or [Democrat] would give an ultra-radical group like LUCHA any credibility by meeting with them in the [governor’s] office. Friends, our [governor] is NO moderate if she’s meeting with leftist [organizations] like this who chase down US Senator’s in to bathrooms,” Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope tweeted. “There’s a major disconnect between “Candidate Hobbs” and Governor Hobbs.”

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One Response

  1. From her election as Secretary of State Kati Hobbs has been a Soros backed radical similar to the radical county prosecutors across America. Her election to governor is highly questionable based upon the corrupt election in Maricopa County for one.
    Hopefully, the GOP legislators will hold and not cave to a non governor Hobbs.

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